In this interview, Dr. Robyn Koslowicz discusses parenting after trauma, how to be less reactive, and how to heal.

It sometimes feels like the world is crumbling around us, and it's worrisome, at the very least. As it is, even the stress inside our very own homes might be more than we feel like we can handle. Something needs to change. What can just one parent do, though? A lot. With the right support […]

If you're raising a young person who's strong willed, it can certainly be challenging. This type of child's powerful will can seem to overpower the energy of a room with their determined nature to get their way. There may be more going on for people--especially children--when they seem strong willed, however. It's often a mask […]

I was well into adulthood and fairly new to parenting when I realized how complicated my family of origin was. Growing up, I knew that my formative years didn't comprise what many would call a picture-perfect "healthy family environment"--after all, my father lived clear across the country and was struggling on many levels, and my […]

When people say it's important to "reparent yourself," they're referring to your ability to show up for yourself in the ways you always needed, but perhaps didn't receive from your family of origin. It's not that everyone was raised without healthy relationships. Many people were raised by loving families (or at least one emotionally healthy […]

How would you feel if I told you pushing boundaries is developmentally normal for children, and in fact, it's healthy? I imagine you'd have mixed feelings. That makes sense. On one hand, we want our kids to develop healthy boundaries of their own, and we're their safe place to practice. On the other hand, we […]

Many of us have heard the expression, "Spare the rod, spoil the child." It's common justification for punitive consequences for children; specifically, spanking (also known as corporal punishment or physical discipline). Many people, including parents, assume that "spare the rod, spoil the child" comes from the Bible. Many of those same people are surprised to […]

Parent goals: "Have a perfect relationship where everyone feels emotionally connected all the time. Life is always one beautiful, smooth path forward. Rainbows and unicorns abound." Parent goals like that are effective exactly zero percent of the time. They're completely unrealistic. However, we often create all sorts of goals that--honestly--aren't all that different. Some parent […]

The best Christian parenting books are those that not only give practical advice, but that also help us reach our child's heart. After all, emotional safety is at the core of what helps children want to do well for us as their parents. The children who feel the safest with us will legitimately want to […]